NEW YORK (AP) -- Brian Williams had been a trusted voice in news for decades, until questions arose last week about his credibility when he admitted he embellished a story he covered in Iraq.
Some speculate that the NBC news anchor started telling tall tales to appear more interesting as he made the rounds on the late-night talk shows. Others suggest he caved to the pressure to sound anything but boring in an insatiable social media-driven society.
Williams was suspended Tuesday by the network for six months for stretching the truth, a stunning fall from grace, but he's far from alone. Puffing up one's experiences - whether it's falsifying a resume or exaggerating stories to amplify the derring-do factor - is something that everyone does for myriad reasons, whether they admit it or not, experts say.